Wait
by Zelha
Summary: Karin bids farewell to her team before the World Cup. Warning: Spoilers from chapters 310-present, kinda. Taka/Karin, oneshot.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own shizz, not even a damn football!

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**Wait**

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It wasn't a cheerful day for her. After all, she was bidding goodbye to her friends.

Her long, golden tresses fluttered in the wind. She had tied her hair as usual, but a few stray locks were as stubborn as she was on the field. The braid rested heavily on her shoulder, as her hands, idle, were itching with the urge to scramble and stop the long-haired man walking in front of her.

It was a bitter day for her. Following their defeat in the Christmas Bowl, Karin virtually left the Teikoku Amefuto Club to Yamato and his devices. The plan was coming to fruition, though. The try-outs for the Japan All-Stars team were in full swing in Deimon, or so she'd been told by a fired-up Heracles and a laughing Yamato.

She had actually expected them to ask her – just like they asked her to join the team – to be there with them during the try-outs, but it seemed that Yamato didn't want to bother her anymore. She was relieved, but disappointed all the same.

Karin didn't have an excuse to drop by to watch the try-outs during their school finals, but she had to. It wasn't that she was particularly interested in watching Yamato mop the floor with the hopefuls, it was just…

_Taka._

Since the Christmas Bowl, Karin hadn't seen his entire face, as he'd taken to keeping it hidden behind that book he always carried with him. Once, during the Universal History class, he answered the teacher's question correctly –as usual– without even looking up from his book. This particular habit actually infuriated her, but who was she to voice her thoughts regarding the matter?

Until this morning, Karin thought he was done with American Football.

How very wrong she was.

It took a call from Yamato – who sounded rather eager – to convince her to bother getting out of bed. Schoolwork after the fall tournament had increased threefold, and she was struggling with her least favorite subjects, namely English and biology. She'd been so tired, she was sleeping in when her cell phone rang.

But what Yamato told her had the former Teikoku Alexanders' Quarterback scrambling from bed and into a cold shower so as to wake her up properly. She was ready to leave the house in fifteen minutes flat.

Arriving at school was a practiced motion; after all, she had the train schedules all but ingrained in her brain. She found Yamato, Heracles, Achilles and Taka there, and while the former Eyeshield 21 was laughing and joking with a young middle schooler, her eyes strayed to the tall, lean form of he whom she had lost so much sleep over.

He was reading – again – his long, silver hair as unkempt as he always had it, his face hidden once again by the pages of his book, looking as if he were lost in his own world.

Yamato noticed her then and greeted her cheerfully, introducing her to the new rookie, Chuubou, a little boy with shy manners, just like Deimon's Sena-kun.

Karin had to smile at the boy, but gaped in surprise when Heracles told her about Chuubou's prowess, stopping Yamato's Caesar's Charge.

Even she could see it now: they were gearing up to crush America.

Karin had to admit that even she was feeling the excitement and anticipation they were feeling. _America_, the monster of all opponents. The World Cup never looked so inviting, so challenging to her. It made her feel a little jealous and disappointed... she wanted to go with them.

But she was staying in Japan.

She almost wanted to scream.

Walking behind Yamato and Taka was a recurring thing, during the Amefuto season, but now, walking down the halls of the Osaka train terminal was something almost unbearable.

Especially if _he_ wasn't even involved in the conversation.

"Karin, are you alright? You look pale," Yamato's voice floated down, making the others look at her in concern. Such gentlemen, the Alexanders were; they were her comrades, always trying to shield her, even if she was in league – at least in terms of talent – with them.

"I'm fine," she responded with one of her shy smiles, looking down at the floor, missing a pair of eyes that carefully noted her sudden discomfiture.

After all, he _was_ a genius.

"I kind of want for Karin to come with us to America," Heracles, always the warm guide –even if somewhat eccentric, but always a true friend– said. "It feels wrong to leave her here. She's one of us, the first stringers of Teikoku."

"She will always be one of us," Taka said offhandedly, much to Karin's surprise. "But America's World Cup is dangerous as best. It wouldn't be safe for her."

"It sounds sexist, Karin, and I apologize in advance if we offend you," Yamato piped in, with a chagrinned smile. "But we only want to protect you. This tournament will be ruthless; we can't have you against one of those brutes."

"But you did, Yamato," Heracles added boisterously. "So you speak with the basis of experience?"

Their friend nodded, suddenly frowning. "America will be the wall we'll have to climb. And we'll to it with the help of the Kantou players, Sena-kun and the others."

Karin almost wanted to point out that Sena-kun's stats were on par with hers, but she kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't do any good to them if she starts behaving like a whiny child. But boy, how she wanted to tell them she didn't need any protectors.

She was Teikoku's Quarterback, after all. The only female in the Japanese Amefuto high school level league. Koizumi Karin.

The train entered the terminal, signaling how her time – with them, _with him _– was running out. Bowing to them, smile in place like always, she bid a fond farewell to her nakama.

Yamato smiled as he shook her hand, warm and kind on the outside, he was, but in the inside, a strong force of nature was expecting patiently to be unleashed. Just like the Emperor's Wall, biding his time until it was the precise moment to vanquish everything.

Heracles, the captain of the Alexanders, drew her into a tight, brotherly hug. He was the one who cared for his team, inspiring them all while striving forward to victory. A smart mind behind an eccentric façade; that was the leader of Teikoku.

Achilles just waved and grinned, always the playful and sarcastic one, but also a gentleman, never stepping out of line.

Chuubou blushed as he bowed deeply, to the others' amusement. It seemed that her reputation as the Teikoku's Flower was still raging in Kansai, much to her chagrin.

But when she looked at Taka, already dreading the goodbye – _please take care of yourself, please don't get hurt, you have no idea, I miss you already _– his eyes rose from the book, settling on hers as the others went about boarding the train.

"Taka-"

"Karin," he said softly. "Please wait for our return."

_Wait for me_.

And with a caress that went unnoticed by the rest of their team, Honjou Taka boarded the train, glancing once more at the blushing blonde that was touching her lips with a look of wonder... and joy.

_I will be back__, for you_.

_Just after we triumph against America. You'll see, Karin._

_~ Tenna' ento lye omenta ~_

-XxX-

**A/N:** Haha, I have no idea where this came from, honestly. But, Taka/Karin is my Teikoku OTP, just like Hiru/Mamo is my Deimon OTP, and there's so little Taka/Karin as a pairing that I decided to make a point, hahaha. A very fluffy point!

However, poor, dorky Taka might have gotten the surprise of his entire life when he saw Karin in Agon's team of Japanese substitutes when they played against Russia, I'd say. I think they're adorable together, really, in a dorky, shy manner. I wonder if they got to speak during this match against Russia... –plotting– mmm... XD

Last but not least, this is a little present for my dear friend Paws-Bells, who likes Eyeshield 21 as much as I do, and shares my tastes in OTPs and all. 8D I'm still a Yamato (and Shin) fangirl, though, whereas her love remains with that dork Taka. Therefore, here's some love for the pair she likes so much. =P We fangirl Hiruma together, that goes without saying, haha.

Once more, much love to my dearest beta RapturesRevenge for being such a sweetheart to me. :D

Thanks for reading!


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